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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: suit · fan · court · nail · degree · clip · leaves · wave

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. degree — an amount
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. degree — from a university
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. court — of law
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. clip — to cut
  11. degree — temperature
  12. suit — in cards
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. clip — for paper
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. suit — clothes
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. court — for sport
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. suit — to fit
  24. court — of a king

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com